Tilting chair



Sept. 20, 19 J. J. WALDHEIM TILTING CHAIR Filed Sept. 1, 1944 INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 20, 1949 TILTING CHAIR John J. Waldheim, Chicago, 111., assignor to Bar- I tolucci & Waldheim, Chicago, 111., a copartnership consisting of Edgar Bartolucci J. Waldheim and John Application September 1, 1944, Serial No. 552,294

3 Claims.

1 My invention relates to furniture, and particularly to a chair adapted to be occupied by a person in either a sitting or a reclining position.

The object of my invention is to provide such a chair, conducive to comfort in either position, and of extremely simple construction and design.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair embodying the features of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof, showing the sitting position in full lines, and the reclining position in dotted lines; and

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view thereof.

The chair comprises two identical side supporting members 4, i, in lateral alinement. In the specific example illustrated, they are in the form of formed, somewhat L-shaped, loops of metal tubing, though, as will be evident, they may be made of metal band or may indeed be of solid or plywood, the essential feature thereof lying in the peripheral shape.

The lower and rearward peripheral surface is, broadly, of rocker form, but, as shown, it has two flats 5 and 6, connected by the tangential curve i, as indicated. The two side supporting members are connected by cross-members 8, 9 and it.

The forward and upper peripheral surface of each side supporting member 4 comprises the seat and leg rest supporting portion II and the back supporting portion l2 having a head rest at its upper end, and the two side supporting members are there spanned by the canvas l3, forming the back, seat and leg rest. It will be obvious that the back, seat and leg rest can be formed by other means, for instance transverse slats, the effect, in any case, being the same. The shape of the back, seat and leg rest conform to the contour of the spinal column and skeletal frame of the occupant when in a healthful, relaxed, sitting pwition.

The center of gravity of the chair, either with or without an occupant, is so located that it will rest in stable equilibrium either on the flat 5 or on the flat 6, the former for sitting position and the latter for reclining position, and is also so located that only a slight shift in weight is required to move the chair from one position to the other. For instance, as indicated in Figure 2 2, the occupant lrstly in the sitting position, i. e. on the flats 5, a can, by swinging the arm upwardly and backwardiy as indicated,-shift easily to the reclining position, the smooth curve 1 between the two flats permitting this easy transfer. In the reclining position the occupants feet are located as high or higher than his head.

It will be clear that, if desired, the flats 5 and 6 may be slightly curved, in order to permit a little rocking in either the sitting or the reclining position, and it will also be clear that the flats need not be simple straight surfaces but can be otherwise formed so long as they present points determining planes.

I claim:

1. In a chair, a pair of laterally alined side supporting members each having a lower surface and a rearward surface. a seat and a back mounted on the upper surfaces of said members, and means defining flats on said lower and rearward surfaces whereby a sitting position and a. reclining position are provided, the center of gravity of the chair being such that the chair is in stable equilibrium both in sitting and reclining positions.

2. In a chair, a pair of laterally alined side supporting members each having a lower surface and a rearward surface, a surface providing a shiftable fulcrum and connecting said first two surfaces, a seat and a back mounted on the upper surfaces of said members, and means defining flats on said lower and rearward surfaces whereby a sitting position and a reclining position of the chair are provided, the center of gravity of the chair being such that the chair is in stable equilibrium both in sitting and reclining positions, said chair being shiftable from one position to the other by movement along the fulcrum surface when the occupant shifts his center of gravity.

3. In a chair, a pair of vertical laterally alined side supporting members having substantially identical peripheral shapes, each member being formed of a single element, body supporting means carried on the upper surfaces of said side supporting members and conforming to the contour of the spinal column and the skeletal frame of an occupants body when in relaxed sitting position, said body supporting means including a 3 seat portion and a back portion approximately at right angles to each other, said seat portion being down-turned at its free end for supporting the lower legs and feet or the occupant and a head rest portion at the upper end of thejback portion, lower and rearward flattened chair supporting surfaces on each of said side supporting members connected by a curved surface providing a shittable fulcrum, whereby a sitting position and a reclining position oi the chair are provided, the center of gravity of the chair being such that the chair is in stable equilibrium, both in sitting and reclining positions, said rearward surfaces establishing a reclining position of the body supporting means wherein the occupants 15 7 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 871,683 Fiindail Nov. 19, 1907 1,626,764 Beech 1 May 17, 1927 1,662,947 Banker Mar. 20, 1923 10 1,983,206 Witzel Dec. 4, 1934 2,271,925 Niles Feb. 3, 1942 2,260,732 Thum Apr. 21, 1942 2,313,023. Ruegger Mar. 2, 1943 roman PATENTS Number Country Date 709,453 France May 18, 1931 556,733 Germany Sept. 10, 1932 

